Uh oh! How scary is this...

An 11 yr old gives birth!

Pity the child! Shucks, I can't imagine a grade school girl being a mom! Why had it reached to the point that the girl whose only 11 years old, got pregnant!? I mean, there maybe circumstances beyond girl's control but damn, can you imagine being a mother at 11 yrs old? Like I said it's scary, sad too, to allow such thing like that to happen? Probably abortion is out of the question but still..tsk tsk..what the hell's happening to society and how children are being raised!?

Poe in pressure

I guess FPJ cannot really be a good guy forever as he lost his temper somewhat when reporters persistenly asked him a lot of questions regarding number of issues. He was attending dinner party and maybe the guy just wants to eat without being pestered with questions. But well, the price one pays for entering the world of politics!

The SIM sequel is here

If you're a SIMS fan. I don't play much but I didn't enjoy the SIMS that I have. Description of new one: The game is goal-oriented as you try to get on a career track and socialize your way to popularity.

Uh huh. Okay then. *Clueless*

Do Weblogs/Journals really help a candidates campaign?

Yes. in some ways it does. It has become an indispensible tool for journalist and candidates. There are increasing number of voters who are net savvy and always online and tend to stay and linger much more when they go to a certain blogsite. Either they read the post and make a comment or just look around. Consider this:

"A blog's not going to have the same reach as a Washington Post or USA Today or an AP article," said Cameron Barrett, a longtime blogger now with Wesley Clark's campaign. "But it does have reach, and people consistently go to online blogs to find information that traditional media ignore."

Case in point is Howard Dean's weblogs. Though the man has skidded in polls (and lost in Iowa caucus) he still remains one of the popular Democratic candidate for President. Thanks in part to his weblogs and internet campaign which gets a lot of hits a day.

Media's web journal and constant blog post have become a viable tool for political junkies who mostly turn to their blogs for news and articles and post we don't normally see with the traditional media.

There's a lot of journalist with web journals! Some news outfit and media company forbids their reporters to have blogsite though.

Journalist and their political contributions

It's not only the business sectors but oh yes even the media outlets and their journalists contribute funds for their own respective choice of candidates. I think that it's wrongs because it casts doubts about their reporting. Washington Post reports that...

Such donations raise difficult questions: Do employees of news organizations give up certain civic rights? Or, in an age when polls show growing public perceptions of media bias, should the appearance of siding with a candidate or party be avoided at all costs?

"A good rule of thumb," said Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, "is, if this were known publicly, would it cause the audience to have doubt about the credibility of this person's coverage?" That, he said, is often "a judgment call."

Here in the Philippines, it's probably happening too. I mean, with the Lopezes most likely will contribute to either Noli de Castro or Loren Legarda. Mostly though it's the other way around. The politicians are the ones giving money away as sort of encouraging or enticing certain media people to write more favorable news about them. Ethics in journalism should be practiced and getting money or contributing funds to certain politicians should be forbidden.

Books worth blogging

Amazon.com search inside the book is pretty cool, it's like reading some of the pages and quite engrossing too. I have a wishlist and part of the list is the book Disgrace . It's an engaging read. Sorta like Out of Africa..esque, type but probably less focused about romance but more on the post-apartheid South Africa.

Alliances and Partnerships and consumer benifits..
I think. HP and Apple computers have formed an alliance and to deliver an HP-branded music player based on Apple's iPod also HP PCs and notebooks will come preinstalled with iTunes. Link via Gizmodo (see HPod pic) full story from Macminute

So does it mean HPod will be less expensive than iPOD but will have same quality? Oooh nice bargain!?

Another partnership is that of RealNetworks and IBM teaming up and will focus mainly in helping businesses deliver their own music, television programs and video over the Internet.

It's good isn't it? For companies who would more want exposure and have their programms on the net. Maybe we'd see a lot of company commercials..yay! ^_^

Ouch!
Sometimes truth hurts as President Arroyo found out. But some surveys shouldn't really be barometer on how well a candidate does. It is there just to assess and see how well a candidate is with voters and demographics and different sectors of society.

Something's missing in Capitol Hill

It's gone silent.The editorial from Washington Post explains it clearly and why.

Many Republican members profess to be fully content with the Bush administration's handling of the war on terrorism here at home. Many Democrats, meanwhile, are happy to snipe from the sidelines but offer little in the way of constructive alternatives.

Yet in absenting itself from the policymaking process, Congress does not merely fail to protect American liberty. It also fails to aid the executive branch in fighting terrorism.

It's been observed that since the war(in Iraq) started and ended, Capitol Hill has been silent on many legislative issues to tackle --Congress has had nothing to say about how captured enemy combatants ought to be treated, either domestically or abroad.

I think that 2004 being election year, the more there should be a move to pass legislation acts regarding important matters and not just stood by and be content with whatever the administration presents.

Earth to Mars, I've landed!

Saw the news earlier and NASA's scientists at CIT's Jet Propulsion Laboratory were very estatic as the Spirit Rover Exploration landed in Mars! For those guys mission accomplished it would seem.That was cool, seeing the piece of robotic machine finally inside the red planet. It looks like the rover is there to look for geologic evidence that liquid water — a necessary ingredient for life — once persisted on the surface. A direct search for life on Mars is at least a decade away, NASA scientists said.

It's a good tthat there's such an exploration and research for who knows, if it was inhabited eons ago, whos to say that a human can't live there too. We can send those lousy politicians, and freaks and terrorist there. Yep, far from the many goodies from earth!

Finally!
And after many delays due supposed terror threat, the BA flight takes off. Hurrah! I think the plane's one of the safest right now to be on board.

Blah ging!
Yey, I finished making a layout designed for my journal. It renders as xhtml(I hope) and is tableless. Nice. I mean it's much easier to modify and maneouver using css tableless design. I tried doing tables and with frames too but wasn't really satisfied. Most of the layouts I make are just amateur..ish in nature but I try and make it as good and clean as possible.

And they're the go...on the left on the right in the middle.....

Geez, political scene here is nothing short of becoming box office hit as different candidates readies themselves for the coming elections this May. FPJ and Loren Legarda filed their certificates of candidacy amidst their many "FANS". Come Monday, will bePresident Arroyo and her choice of VP, Noli de Castro's turn to File their COC. Meantine Ping Lacson, whose another presidentiable wants Bayani "BF" Fernado as VP. And then there's Raul Roco too with an Aquino(Hermie is the name..shrugs)as his choice for VP.

These politicians are excited. Yeah, much too damn excited about the upcoming elections as the merry go round of whose gonna be where in whose line up(for senators, governors, mayor, etc) is really becoming hilarious albeit in very much "showbiz" way. Looks like politics and showbiz are just one and thesame.

China and the Virus problem

As what happened last year in China, it seems there's a possible SARS victim again The patient, a 32-year-old television worker. Everyone knows what kind of panic the severe acute respiratory syndrome brought to many Asian countries and Canada, which happens to be the only non Asian nation to have been infected with the disease. But there seems to be good news to this cos World Health Organization says "Even if a few cases, or clusters of cases, of SARS were to occur it would be possible to prevent massive spread"

I think doctors and scientist/researchers should look for vaccines for this kind of disease cos it's really dangerous and could kill if severely affected by it. It already left several people dead last year. Recurrence of the disease is happening again and it must be stop.

Not good way to start the New Year
Terrorism is bringing worries to everyone and the homeland security on heightened alert. The BA flight that was cancelled due to "fears of a possible attack appear to be based on suspicious names on passenger lists, and information that specific flights may have been targeted" according to BBC

It's now 2004 and terrorism still the promiment news maker. We're just beginning the year and already this news doesn't really give a very good indication of a calm peaceful year ahead.